Dave McLelland was born November 20, 1952 in Penticton, B.C. A graduate of the BCJHL, McLelland had stints in Penticton and New Westminster during his three year career in the BCJHL and was BCJHL First Team All-Star in 1971.

After a stellar year with Penticton in 1970-71, McLelland joined the WCJHL's Brandon Wheat Kings in 1971-72 before making his professional debut the following year. The netminder from Penticton split his first season of pro hockey between the WHL's Seattle Totems, the IHL's Des Moines Capitals and the NHL's Vancouver Canucks. McLelland played only two games with Vancouver, compiling a 1-1 record before returning to Des Moines for the next two seasons.

At the end of the 1974-75 IHL season, Dave McLelland retired from hockey.